The flame that keeps a wedding running
There is something almost invisible that holds a wedding together — not the flowers, not the lights, but the steady roar of a gas burner keeping a hundred kilos of biryani at the perfect temperature. Right now, that invisible thread is under serious strain.
Commercial LPG supplies across India have tightened sharply, and the timing could not be worse. The Hindu panchang has marked most of March as auspicious for weddings, with heavy bookings running through 14 March before a brief lull and another rush picking up again from 10 April. Banquet managers in multiple cities are reporting that their current LPG stocks will last only four to five days. Some are already weighing whether to stop accepting fresh bookings entirely.
The root cause sits far from any banquet lawn. Ongoing hostilities involving the US, Israel, and Iran have led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the passage through which 85–90 per cent of India's LPG imports travel, largely from Saudi Arabia. India imports about 62 per cent of its annual LPG needs, and with that route disrupted, the government has prioritised household cylinder supplies over commercial demand. Restaurant associations have warned that eateries in cities including Mumbai and Bengaluru could be forced to shut within days if the situation does not improve. The oil ministry has formed a three-member committee to address the supply challenges.
What this means on the ground
For banquet operators, LPG is not simply a cooking fuel — it is also used to hold large quantities of food at safe serving temperatures throughout an event. When you are feeding five hundred guests in batches, you cannot afford a cold kitchen halfway through dinner service.
The fallback option that some operators are considering — switching to coal — brings its own complications. Coal cooking takes significantly longer and demands more manpower, which squeezes margins and disrupts the tight choreography of a wedding menu. One manager quoted in reports noted that advance bookings have already been made for the post-Eid season, meaning the financial exposure is real and immediate. Cancelling or rescheduling a wedding function is not simply a logistical headache; for many families it carries emotional and social weight that no insurance clause can cover.
Why this matters for a wedding banquets audience in India
If you are a couple with a wedding booked in March or April, or a family managing an upcoming shaadi, this is the moment to have a direct conversation with your banquet hall or caterer. Ask specifically about their fuel situation, what contingency they have in place, and whether a coal or induction-based backup would change your menu timings or food quality.
For venue operators and caterers, the disruption is a reminder of how exposed the events industry is to global supply chains. India consumes roughly 31.3 million tonnes of LPG annually; commercial establishments — hotels, restaurants, banquet kitchens — account for about 13 per cent of that, yet they are the first to feel rationing. Diversifying fuel infrastructure, even partially, is a conversation that the industry has been slow to have. A crisis in the middle of wedding season may finally force it.
The government committee is working on solutions, and supply could stabilise. But with muhurat dates running on the calendar and no pause button on auspicious timings, the pressure on every dal makhani and seekh kebab being slow-cooked for a baaraat dinner is very, very real right now.